


RanGa's Diary of Adventures

by Ryuu (Alex_senpai)



Category: Future Card Buddyfight
Genre: Alternate Universe, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, present times
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-08-22 01:52:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16588499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alex_senpai/pseuds/Ryuu
Summary: Ranma Kakogawa and Yuga Mikado, throughout their lives.(Two chapters per update.)





	1. Past

Sitting on his chair with a soft thud, Ranma took notice of the room he was in.

The 1st day of his elementary school life starts today.

It was really a large one. For some reason, it feels like his house was only an inch of the room. The walls were too wide apart that probably 10 something of the size of his house can fit inside the room. The windows were all closed, the air feeling so heavy around his lungs, suffocating, if he was to describe it (Why are the windows even closed in the first place?)

The atmosphere is too much. It wasn't as warm as the one wrapping his room. It was too cold for his liking, reminding him of the rainy days when he had to suffer sleepless nights due to the rolling thunders outside his window.

He wasn't just used to being around so many people like this. Especially kids around his age.

He strained his ears, trying to listen to what everyone is talking about around the room (He’s trying to find someone to talk to. Kids do get lonely that easily, after all.) The kids formed little circles, forming groups of 2 or 3 or whatever-amount-that-he-couldn't-count, talking about different subjects.

From what his ear could manage to hear, one group talked about something about the new game that came out for PS4. Another talked about something about a superhero movie that is popular right now (He can't make out the words. Something about Ginger? That would be a weird name for a superhero movie.) While the others talked about stuff that he isn't able to quite make sense.

But, if he was to describe everything in general, there were just mixed throngs of noise coming from everywhere, spreading throughout the room like a wildfire. Adding to the noises were the different smells, something putrid that reminds him of glue. It was pretty much uncomfortable, and too much for someone like him, who spent most of his young days alone inside his home.

It was just a different world from the room he stayed in for most of his childhood.

Sighing, he carefully trudging towards the different groups of kids who are still too busy with whatever they're talking and doing about. He searches for a corner where he could probably stay in until the teacher comes in. He was told by his mother to behave himself as she dropped him off earlier. So, he has to follow the rule. He doesn't want to earn some spanking later on.

Finding a good corner with only a few kids, he dragged his seat across the tiles. He sits on the farthest end of the room, breathing lightly as he sat with a soft thud, a bit comfortable in his new position.

"Did you find them noisy too?"   
  
Gasping a little bit, Ranma looked at the source of the voice, finding a kid sitting beside him, tapping on a phone as he busied himself in playing some kind of a game.

"Y-yeah."

While he's not really that good with other kids, Ranma's not a completely antisocial person at all. He just finds it too exhausting to befriend other kids. Was it really this hard?

And to think someone talked to him just like that... And a kid of his age, too! How can they even do this kind of thing?

"Don't worry, I also did that."

Placing his phone on the table, the boy looked at Ranma, smiling gently.

What Ranma probably noticed first was that weird hair. His hair was a weird mix of blue and red locks. Seriously, what is this kid? This is the first time he saw someone with a weird two-toned hair! It reminds him of those singers in television he saw last night.

Ranma fiddled with his fingers nervously. “M-may I ask something?”

“Mhm, you are already asking a question.”

Ranma flinched and turned red.

“Hey! I-I’m just kidding, man! Of course you can ask a question!”

Ranma sighed for the umpteenth time of that day (if it was in relief or not, he didn’t know).

“Uhm, D-did you dye your hair, or is it natural?”

“All kids have asked me that, but yeah, it’s natural.”

Ranma’s mouth almost gaped at the revelation. This kid is a real mystery! Is he secretly an idol and is just hiding it from anyone? That would be totally cool! But then, those idols have only dyed their hairs, right? There’s no way for this two-toned hair to be natural!

But, that’s beside the point.

What really struck Ranma was how his hair somehow suits his golden eyes in a weird kind of way. (Yeah, weird. That’s the only adjective he could think of when describing this boy.) In a way that captures his heart like no other eyes could.

And probably, that’s the most beautiful thing that he saw on this boy's face.

They remind him of the Sun when it casually peeks behind Ranma's curtains in the morning, or when the rains that haunt his dreams finally let up.

For him, the Sun is comfort.

The Sun is cheerfulness.

The Sun is home.

Somehow, that feeling of being suffocated by the room's atmosphere dissipated. It was suddenly filled with warmth, like his favorite blanket that he tucks himself in during the night.

"I'm Yuga, Yuga Mikado. What's your name?" the boy asked, a smile lacing his features as he took out his hand.

Ranma reddened. This is it. He gotta take into action what he has practiced the whole night! Introductions may not be his favorite thing, but he’s confident that he can at least pull it off with his new friend! Yuga won’t laugh, right? Friends will support their friends, right?

Breathing in and out, just as what his mother taught him whenever he’s supposed to introduce himself, Ranma tried to steel his nerves and calm his heart. Why does his heart feel like it’s too jumpy…?

"I-I'm Ranma Kakogawa. I-It's nice to meet you," Ranma responded.

Yuga smiled at him again, wider than the smile he just showed earlier.

“Ranma, you’re supposed to take my hand and shake it! My mom says that shaking hands is a sign of friendship!”

“I-is that s-so?”

“Of course!” Yuga answered.

Ranma slowly reached for Yuga’s hand. But before he could make any more movement, Yuga took it upon himself to clasp Ranma’s hands in his

Ranma almost inwardly screamed. Yeah, he did it! Achievement unlocked! Advance to the next level! He will surely tell his mother later!

He gained a friend already! And to say that it’s just the first day!

Was it really worthy to be called friendship, though? What is friendship, anyway?

Right now, his heart just stopped being jumpy. It’s now filled with some sort of… happiness? Like that feeling after drinking his favorite cup of hot chocolate in the morning? It suddenly felt so warm in his chest that Ranma thinks, he’s going to melt any minute now.

Is this what friendship is all about?

"Oh, is this 'Pac-man?'”

Happening to let his focus go somewhere else other than the unexplainable heat in his chest, he happened to peek on Yuga’s phone.

"Yeah! How did you know? Isn't this like a real old game?"

Curiosity and excitement were spelled all over Yuga's face.

"W-well, I always play it on my gameboy whenever I'm all by myself-"

"Gameboy? How did you get your hands into such an old gadget? Where have you gotten it? What model of gameboy?"

Yuga held Ranma's hands more tightly, shaking him in excitement as he found out that someone other than him knows of old games and consoles. Ranma’s face burned.

Is this how friendships are going to be?

"U-uh, I only found it in our house. I was curious with it so I tried to play with it..." Ranma responded as he tried to shake off his embarrassment from Yuga's excitement.

"That's cool! We should play some time later! Pac-man is literally aces! I don't know why my friends don't know it, though. It's totally a game everyone should know!"

Ranma never felt like this before. He doesn't understand that warm feeling that envelops his chest right now. Why does it suddenly feels hotter there?

Clasping his hand over his chest, Ranma smiled at Yuga.

"Y-yeah. S-sure, I will take you on."

It feels like befriending other people wasn't really that difficult as it seemed.


	2. Present

After so many years of knowing each other, Yuga thought he knew everything about Ranma. The way his eyes flicker whenever there’s anything technology-related, the way his eyebrows meet together whenever their views are down the gutter, or how his mouth widens into a smile whenever they have done a totally aces video.

Everything about Ranma, Yuga thought, he has memorized already. Like the back of his hand, or even the way various games play. Heck, he may know Ranma better than most games out there.

But, it turns out… there are still rules that Ranma plays with that Yuga is yet to explore. (Or probably not explore. He knows how secretive his bestfriend is.)

“Are you prepared, Ranma?”

The cold breeze blew through the open window as Yuga sat on their couch, his feet dangling from the inside arm. Next to him was Ranma, who sat on the side couch, sitting with a slouched back, tapping continuously on his equipment.

“Prepared?” Ranma asked, not taking his eyes off from the screen.

“You know, the school dance later this night. Have you gotten a dance partner?” Yuga asked back, playing with his pen as he stared up at the ceiling.

“Oh, that.”

Yuga looked at Ranma with a curious stare. Jumping down from the couch, he circled Ranma and propped his chin on Ranma’s arm, staring at the screen.

“O-oy Yu-”

Ranma shut down his screen with a rush, and almost pushed Yuga away a bit too hardly.

“You can’t just look at someone’s work like that, Yuga!”

“That’s not stuff about RanGa channel? Eh, Ranma’s hiding secrets now from me, huh?” Yuga teased.

“No! I mean--Ugh, just never mind that! What do you want? You’re being annoying right now,” Ranma said, putting away his equipment as he looked at Yuga with scrunched eyebrows.

“Oh, sorry! Didn’t mean to look. You looked really focused on what you were doing, and you didn’t even answer my question,” Yuga said as he walked back to his seat.

“Is that so? I’m sorry, I was just busy doing stuff with our channel. Y’know, we’re getting too much demand and it really needs more attention than before,” Ranma said with a sigh, pushing aside the equipment, lazily sliding down on his couch.

Yuga frowned.

“Anyway, Yuga, do you have a dance partner now?” Ranma asked, closing his eyes.

“Hm, yeah.”

“Who?”

“Miko. I do think she’s the only girl I like in our class. The others are... well, not really my type. A bit too bitchy. Yeah, not really my type. You know me, pal.”

“Oy, isn’t that a bit too insulting?”

“Nah, not if we’re telling the truth.”

Ranma chuckled.

“So, what about you, Ranma? Thought you can dodge my question?”

“Sigh, you are really an annoying guy, aren’t you? Well, I’m gonna be honest. I don’t have anyone yet.”

Yuga looked at Ranma incredulously, his eyes almost widening like saucers.

Yeah, sure, Ranma still has some traces of that shy attitude he had when they were kids, but surely Ranma has grown out of that shell. In fact, it was Ranma’s ideas that made RanGa the amazing channel it is right now. (Who can believe that RanGa is now a PalTube partner? They’re making money through videos!)

For him to have no dance partner when he’s clearly a famous person is something questionable.

“What? Are you sure? I mean, yeah, it is imperative that the guys ask the girls to be their partners, but has no one showed any interest in being your partner?”

Ranma looked again at the ceiling. He stood back up with a sigh.

“I’m not even sure.”

Yeah. Totally like Ranma. Too busy on their channel that he won’t notice other things.

“That’s totally bad.” Yeah, Yuga, thank you captain obvious. “I mean, the dance is gonna happen later and you still don’t have a partner… Maybe I can hook you up with another girl? I know some girls who are totally gonna suit you.”

“Huh? No need for that, Yuga! I can handle this myself!” Ranma protested, waving his hands on the air.

“Really?” Yuga narrowed his eyes to emphasize his point.

“Yeah! I’m not a kid anymore!”

“Well, if you say so. By the way, I’m going now. We gotta prepare for it, right? Better not waste the day, Ranma! It’s just a once-in-a-lifetime thing, or so they say.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Yuga stood up from the couch and left the house.

Ranma’s totally worrisome. Well, probably he should trust his bestfriend more. He knows the guy has overcome a lot. This is nothing.

“Yeah, Yuga! You gotta believe your bestfriend more!”

Yuga flinched at the voice. Oh yeah, his mind is flying somewhere.

“Huh?” he asked.

“You are worrying too much about Big Brother Ranma,” Haru reassured. “He’s totally gonna get a girl partner! He’s totally famous in our class. I’m sure there’s someone who will want to beh is partner!”

“Well, that’s assuring, but you’re totally like, 3 years behind us? It could be a different situation with your seniors,” Yuga turned around the mirror, looking at his form.

A tuxedo, a crimson red polo, and a neck tie… Not a bad combination.

“Yeah, I guess, but the point is, you two are famous! You even got an invitation from someone in your class, right?” Haru asked.

“I guess?” Yuga responded as he combed his usually messy hair.

Truth to be told, he was asked various times by many classmates to be their partner. (Isn’t that weird? A guy being asked?) Well, as much as imperative it is for males to do the asking, there were females who dared to be brave.

But of course, Yuga declined them. He knows those girls would only want to be his partner because he’s famous and whatnot.

“At least you’ve got Big Sister Miko as your partner now. I hope though Big Brother Ranma gets a partner as good as her,” Haru said as he helped fix Yuga’s tie.

“Mhm, I hope so too. Thank you for helping, Haru.”

“No problem, Big Brother. You gotta enjoy the dance!”

Yuga smiled and waved his hand.

Seriously though, will Ranma be okay?

  
Turns out, he doesn’t have to worry that much. (But Yuga’s really a worrywart. He just can’t stop being one.)

“Yuga? Are you fine?”

Yuga flinched hard again for the second time of the day. He then remembered that he was in the middle of a dance with Miko, and they’re currently gliding through the dance floor. She might have noticed that his eyes keep on darting elsewhere.

“O-oh, huh? Ah, yeah! Sorry Miko.”

“That’s no problem. Wanna sit down?”

“Y-yeah, if that’s not a problem to you.”

Yuga led Miko to a seat. He then sat next to her and sighed.

“You seem to be worrying about something. Do you want to talk about it?” Miko asked.

Yuga’s eyes wandered to Ranma, who was dancing with a girl he doesn’t know. Yeah, he shouldn’t really worry about it, right?

But Yuga knows Ranma too much. No matter how secretive he is, no matter how much he wants to hide what he feels, he knows when Ranma’s not into what he’s doing.

It reminds him of the day when he saw Ranma back when they first met. He looked afraid of the world around him, like it was too big for him to comprehend and it was going to swallow him whole. The usual light that passes through his eyes when they do something wacky, or his usual grin that he memorized whenever he knows that Ranma is totally having fun---they all were not present in the Ranma that was dancing right now.  
It reminds him of the shy Ranma back then---the form he thought was long gone. Definitely brings back some old memories.

Right now, Ranma was wearing a mask; a facade to hide whatever he was truly feeling that moment (Despite of how much Yuga wants to say he has memorized everything about Ranma, he’s not a mind reader.) His smile towards his partner was so fragile that it was totally obvious that it’s not even a legit smile. How could his partner not notice it?

“Are you worrying about Ranma?”

Oh right, his partner is totally with him right now. He should definitely focus on making her night memorable. It’s pathetic that he’s worrying over his best friend in the middle of the damn school dance.

“Oh sorry. Yeah, somehow,” Yuga answered as he continually watched Ranma, whose totally-fake smile is still plastered on his face.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Miko asked in a worried tone.

“Uh, well, Ranma’s not good with crowds.”

Damn school dance making Ranma uncomfortable. Damn his heart for worrying too much for his best friend.

“Really? I thought Ranma’s amazing with people! I mean, he’s like the head of RanGa channel? He’s the one dealing with the negotiations, right?”

“Nah, I’m our spokesperson.”

“Oh! That explains it. By the way, you should totally go to him right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, aren’t you worrying about him? You should pull him out of the dance and probably, go out somewhere, uh, empty or something?” Miko suggested to Yuga.

“But, are you sure that’s fine? I mean, it’s the school dance and you’re supposed to enjoy it--”

“Do not worry about me, Yuga. I can totally see that Ranma’s not comfortable right now. He definitely needs a breather of some sort.”

Yuga’s smile widened for the first time during that night.

“Thank you, Miko! I promise I will be back before the real dance starts!” Yuga exclaimed as he stood hastily from the chair, rushing towards his best friend.

“Do not worry about me! Take as much time as you need!” Miko exclaimed back.

Going through the crowd of various students who were dancing to that loud tune, Yuga made his way towards Ranma, who has stopped dancing and was only standing silently in the middle of the crowd.

“Yo, Ranma,” Yuga whispered as he took Ranma by the arm, running towards the balcony door.

“Y-yuga?!” Ranma exclaimed with surprise as he was taken away from the crowd, (un)surprisingly not protesting.

When they reached the balcony, Yuga came to a halt, grasping his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

“Yuga? What was that for?” Ranma asked, surprise evident in his voice.

“Hey Ranma,” Yuga greeted instead, winking at Ranma.

“Seriously Yuga, why pull me out of the crowd? Aika would probably get alone there, and the slow dance is gonna begin in a few minute. I need to return no-”

“Ranma.”

Yuga looked at Ranma, worry spelled out completely on his face, looking at Ranma’s gray eyes with an unwavering stare to drive home his point.

“You’re stiff. You got to calm down a bit. The crowd’s been getting to you, isn’t it?” Yuga face contorted into his normal smile.

Ranma sighed. “You really are annoying, Yuga.”

“Is that a compliment or an insult?”

“Maybe both.”

Yuga chuckled. He walked towards the handrail and leaned his weight on it.

A few moments later, Ranma took his side, also leaning on the handrail.

“I’m sorry. I’m a bad actor, aren’t I?--”

“Nah. You’re just unlucky that you have a best friend who has memorized you completely.”

“I’m not even done! I mean, you always look out after me… Sorry, I just keep on making you baby me.”

The music inside the hall has gone to a halt. There was only silence on the air.

“You don’t have to apologize.”

Yuga looked at Ranma, smiling at him. This guy needs to rely on others more.

For the first time in this night (How hasn’t he noticed?), Yuga saw how Ranma’s physique has changed; how his eyes have sharpened throughout the years, how his hair has grown slightly thicker, how his body became more chiseled and so many others that he himself cannot put into words.

It’s startling how different he looks now but somehow, he’s still the same Ranma he knows---the Ranma with that same beautiful gleam of light protruding through his gray eyes, the Ranma with that brave attitude he has gained after overcoming so many trials, the Ranma with that shy attitude he always had with him ever since they have

Ranma Kakogawa is a mystery personified. How could this guy be so stunning? There’s so much to know about him. There’s such a depth in him that somehow attracts Yuga into knowing more---like his curiosity is continuously being baited because he knows that there’s so much to explore about this guy. It’s not helping that he’s wearing a navy blue polo that really accents his features---making him look like an angel under the gentle stream of moonlight from the heavens.

For the first time, Yuga felt like his breath was taken away.

“Yuga, are you fine?” Ranma asked.

“Oh, yeah! When was I never fine?” Yuga answered, removing his gaze away from the beauty that is in front of him, lest he wanted to be caught staring again.

Damn heart suddenly doing that weird dance that makes his stomach jump a little.

“W-well, I’m the one who should be asking you,” Yuga declared. “Are you fine now?”

“Yeah, I have somehow calmed down. Maybe we should go back now? I mean, the slow dance is going to start in a few seconds now and maybe Miko and Aika are waiting for us---”

“Wait.”

Ranma was about to walk back into the door, but Yuga suddenly grabbed him by the arm.

“What is it, Yuga?”

Even Yuga himself doesn’t know why. Just, subconsciously, he felt like he wanted to spend a few minutes more, if that’s possible.

“Is… is it fine if we spend a few more minutes here? I mean, we were too busy these past days so…” Yuga trailed off.

Ranma smiled---the widest smile he had for this night. “Yeah, sure. I mean, you’re right, we need to catch up.”

Yuga thought, probably school dances weren’t that bad after all.

“Didn’t know you would miss me, huh,” Ranma nudged Yuga with a goofy smile on his face.

“You know, as much as you claim that I’m annoying, you are the real annoying one here,” Yuga nudged back.

And for the rest of that day, two childhood friends smiled like idiots---and danced together, with each other---forgetting that they were in a school dance as they got lost in the gaze and presence of each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! Hoped you enjoyed the first two chapters!
> 
> So, just a heads up, this story will have a sporadic update schedule due to time constraints on my part. But, good news is, there will be 2 chapters per updates so that the wait will be worth it.
> 
> If there are grammatical and technical errors, please let me know. I would love it if people would criticize my work constructively!
> 
> Thank you! Until the next update!


End file.
